At Tuesday's NHL Awards Show, 3 Bruins were nominated 5 awards. By the end of the two hour special that included performances by Phillip Phillips and appearances by a whole host of TV, movie and music stars, 2 Bruins had WON 4 awards.
For Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, he won his 2nd Selke Trophy in 3 seasons in addition to winning both the NHL 15 Cover Vote and the NHL Foundation Award for community service.
As tweeted out by the Bruins organization after Bergy's Selke win Bergeron was gracious in his acceptance of the award. "any individual award goes with the help of all your teammates & coaches," He said "have to thank them all for making me a better player"
Bergeron played perhaps the best season of his career this year. He finished 3rd in the league in face-off win percentage this season, assisting on 32 goals and scoring 30 goals on top of that. His plus minus rating of +38 was substantially better than any other player nominated for the Selke and surely represented the equally offensive and defensive style of play that Patrice Bergeron embodied. It was also the best plus minus rating of the Bruins' star's career. It was the unique way that Bergeron showed his stunning skill set and suddenly vocal leadership in 2014 that won him both the Selke Trophy and the hugely popularity based contest that is the NHL 15 Cover Vote.
But beyond that, Bergeron was also finally recognized for his community work this year with the NHL Foundation Award. Frankly for almost a decade now, Patrice has been one of those sports icons that Boston sports fans love to make into absolute celebrities. In the past few years Bergeron has most notably used his power in the city of Boston for good by starting up his own charitable organization, Patrice's Pals. Patrice's Pals gives children in local Boston hospitals for long term care the opportunity to attend a Bruins game in all its splendor and then meet Bergeron himself shortly after the conclusion of the 3rd period.
Bergeron, though he has never been one to go after individual recognition was bathed in it Tuesday. Boston's center has already achieved great things and it was proven Tuesday night that the NHL is finally recognizing that.
One man who was getting recognition right from the get go was also rewarded with a heavy dose of celebration Tuesday. Tuukka Rask absolutely shut opponents down in 2013-2014 winning 36 games, logging 6 shutouts, a sub 2.5 GAA and a save percentage of over .930. His dominance with the glove was greatly bettered by increased skating mobility this season while his stick was put to use much more. The most notable of these stick plays occurred when Rask would come charging off his line to combat any given breakaway with a pad stack 30 feet out from the net.
As a result of his stunning imitation of a brick wall as it would act when placed in front of a hockey goal this season, Rask was awarded not only with his first Vezina nomination but also his first win. The victory served as the 3rd by a Boston goalie in the last 6 years. It is that fact that is perhaps the most stunning. As you may remember just two years ago, Tim Thomas bizarrely quit professional hockey for a year leaving the Bruins questioning their situation in goal. Tuukka Rask was just coming off a groin injury and without a solid backup he would be expected to play huge minutes in the seasons of the near future. While some predicted greatness from the Finnish star, none predicted what he has given Boston. The fact is when Thomas left at the end of the 2011-2012 season, Bruins fans thought they might not see the likes of such a great goalie for a long time. I can assure you that by long time they did not mean 1 season.
Tuukka Rask won the Vezina this season, proving his worth to Boston and the NHL and showing off what has very quickly become one of the most stunning stories of goal tending luck mixed with coaching ever. While other teams have been able to trot out guys like Martan Brodure or Dominik Hasek it is surely a rare occasion when a coaching staff can groom two different Vezina Trophy winners as close together as the Bruins have with Tim Thomas in 2011 and Tuukka Rask in 2014.
Rask's win Tuesday gave props not only to him but the Bruins team as a whole.
All and all, the duo of Rask and Patrice Bergeron will likely become the defined core of the Bruins in a couple years when Zdeno Chara retires and will likely produce a new captain of the Bruins to fill that void. These two men have leadership and gutsy skill that is almost unrivaled in the league right now. They never play for their own personal game, they do play for their team and above all they do play for the city that worships them. The NHL saw that as something admirable Tuesday night and thus responded by handing both Bruins huge recognition.
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